SHARJAH: The American University of Sharjah (AUS) was ranked as the best private university in the Gulf region offering an MBA degree, according to a study published recently by Forbes Middle East in its February issue. The university ranks second best among private universities offering MBA degrees in the entire Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, according to the same study.

Dr Peter Heath, AUS Chancellor, expressed satisfaction over the results and congratulated His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and President of AUS, as well as other members of the AUS Board of Trustees, the dean, faculty and staff of the School of Business and Management (SBM), on this achievement.

“The high ranking of our MBA programme by Forbes is not a surprise to us, but comes as a logical crowning of the series of achievements by AUS in general and its School of Business and Management in particular,” he said.

Programmes of the university’s School of Business and Management have recently earned international accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). The new Dhs90 million, state-of-the-art SBM building was opened soon thereafter, Dr Heath added.

The six criteria used by the study to assess the top 37 private MBA programmes in the Mena region included accreditation, number of majors, length of the programme, cost, minimum GPA requirements and availability of academic advisers.

Meanwhile, in an interview published on the occasion, Dr Heath told Forbes Middle East that AUS maintained an educational standard at par with renowned US universities. He attributed the university’s success to the support of its president, board of trustees’ members and the dedication of its faculty and staff.